


Reformed

by cookiegirl



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Superheroes, Supervillains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 07:25:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19057981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cookiegirl/pseuds/cookiegirl
Summary: Grayson is just an average, ordinary superhero trying to serve the people of his city. He doesn't need some flashy, supposedly-reformed-supervillain parading his rehabilitation in everyone's faces and stealing all the good rescues. But Whirler will not go away.





	Reformed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Prinzenhasserin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prinzenhasserin/gifts).



“This is ridiculous!” Grayson was pacing back and forth in front of the television set, scowling at it as though it had personally offended him.

“Uh, Gray?” Ella said gently from where she was curled on the couch with Deb. “Maybe we should change the channel before you wear a hole in the carpet?”

“Are you listening to this garbage?” Grayson asked, gesturing towards the TV. “I mean, you can’t possibly be buying it, can you?” 

He watched Ella and Deb exchange almost identical glances. It was times like this he regretted sharing an apartment with a couple. Deb shrugged. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

“But - but - he -” Grayson cut himself off with a growl. “Just listen to him!” He jammed his finger against the remote control to raise the volume on the evening news even higher.

_“Can you tell us a little more about why you decided to help those children? What was going through your mind the day you stopped that runaway bus?”_

_“That’s a great question, Julie. It wasn’t a snap decision to change, you know? I’d been feeling the urge to turn things around for a while. There are only so many heists you can perform and so much money you can have before it all starts to seem a little empty. So when I saw the opportunity to do something good for once, I just had to take it.”_

Grayson threw his hands into the air. “He’s lying! He didn’t decide to do something good! He got in the way of that bus by accident! Stopping it was a reflex! He was probably on his way to do something villainous! _I_ was the one who went there specifically to stop the bus!”

“And you’d have done a great job!” Ella reassured him. “If...Whirler hadn’t gotten there first.”

“Should have been faster,” Deb pointed out helpfully.

“And now everyone’s just - forgetting - about all the things he’s done before?” Grayson said. “Like it doesn’t matter? Like stealing millions of pounds is - nothing?”

“He’s apologized, Gray,” Ella said. “And he’s gonna give back the money he hasn’t already spent, and they had that whole court case to decide if he could be pardoned, and everyone agreed -”

“Everyone has lost their minds!” Grayson said. “Don’t you see? I’ve been saying all along that to get away with these heists he must have some sort of mind control power, and now he’s used it on the police, and the jury, and these simpering reporters, and -”

“He’s kind of cute, though, isn’t he?” Ella interrupted, cocking her head to the side. “I mean, if I was into men.”

Grayson stared at her, dumbstruck, then glanced back at the television, where Whirler was looking directly into the camera, smiling that knowing half-smile, talking about his redemption. 

“And he seems like he’s a good guy underneath it all,” Deb said, threading her fingers through Ella’s hair. 

Grayson opened and closed his mouth uselessly. “You two are falling right under his spell, aren’t you?”

“Be reasonable, Gray,” Deb said. “If he really had mind control powers, wouldn’t you be under his spell too? You’ve been watching these interviews more than either of us.”

That was true. But he’d only been watching in order to try and catch Whirler out. “Well, obviously, I’m immune,” Grayson muttered. “Maybe it doesn’t work on other...people of power.”

 _“Yes, thank you, Julie, I would like to talk about my new charity,”_ came the voice from the television, and Grayson turned to watch. _“I’ve set up a foundation to help children who’ve been affected by the actions of supervillains - I want to carry on giving back.”_

“A charity?” Grayson said incredulously.

“That’s so sweet!” Ella said.

“It’s a con. It’s another way to steal money. There’s no way that’s legit!”

Deb and Ella exchanged looks again. “It could be,” Deb hedged. “Maybe he’s genuinely seen the error of his ways. Or maybe he just wants to look like a hero. Either way, if the children benefit -”

“Why would he want to look like a hero?” Grayson said. “He always looked perfectly happy being seen as the super-suave villain.” In fact, as far as Grayson had ever been able to tell, Whirler had _loved_ being a criminal, had taken great joy in outsmarting the city’s heroes and police force and leaving them standing in the dust as he escaped with whatever outrageously priced jewel or artefact had taken his fancy on any given day. And he had always seemed to revel in his image as the city’s - and possibly the tri-state area’s - fastest, smoothest, richest thief. Grayson had never been able to pin him down for long enough to get a real hold on his motivations, but money and excitement had seemed to be his only driving forces. 

“I don’t know… maybe he wanted to be loved rather than feared?” Deb said. “Maybe he wanted the adulation and the fame and… you know, all the things you thought you’d get when you became a superhero?”

“And could still get,” Ella cut in quickly.

Grayson flushed. “I became a superhero to help people. And to use my powers for good. Not for adulation and fame. I mean, it would have been nice, but…”

“Hey, it’s not like people don’t like you!” Ella said. “You got voted the fifth most popular superhero in the city!”

Deb whispered something, and Ella wrinkled her nose. “I mean, yes, I know we only have five, but still… you made the list!”

“I’ll be sixth next year, if Whirler has anything to do with it.”

“Maybe it’s the outfit?” Ella mused. “If you just made a little more effort with your look, I’m sure you could get into the top three…”

“Not this again.” Grayson sank down on the couch next to her.

“You could try a purple costume? Or orange? Or -”

“Gray is practical. It makes it easy to hide in the sky. And it washes well.”

Deb reached over and patted his arm. “We’re just saying, if you’re jealous of the attention Whirler’s getting, maybe you could work on your brand a little -”

“I’m not jealous!” Grayson said, appalled at the thought. “That’s not what this is about!” Deb and Ella looked at him, unconvinced. “It’s _not!_ I just don’t think he should get the credit for being reformed when he isn’t! He’s pulling the wool over people’s eyes.”

“Don’t worry,” Deb said. “If he’s really evil, he’ll go back to his old ways soon enough, and then everyone will know, won’t they? And if he really is reformed… well that’s good for everyone, isn’t it? One less villain, one more hero: it’s a net win for the city.”

Grayson gritted his teeth. “Fine. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. But he better not get in my way.” 

\----

Whirler was constantly getting in the way.

“Grayson! Good of you to show up,” he said when Grayson arrived at the scene of the latest bank robbery. “You can help with the clean-up.”

Grayson looked around at the three criminals tied up on the floor, the once-hostages already getting to their feet, the bags of money neatly piled in the center of the room. Grayson was used to getting to the scene of the crime first - his powers weren’t fancy, just super strength and the ability to fly, but the fact that he was the only hero in the city who could fly gave him an advantage. But now here was Whirler, with his super-speed, stealing his thunder. _For the third time this week._ And he was looking so damn pleased with himself, and so sleek with his shiny new hero costume that he didn’t deserve to wear, and -

Whirler sidled up next to him and murmured in his ear. “Hey, how about we split the money and when the cops get here we tell them there was a fourth bad guy who made off with it? I bet the hostages would back us up, they’re just grateful to be alive. And if they don’t...well, I can be very convincing even without backup.”

Grayson gaped at him, his face heating with anger. He _knew_ he was right! Whirler wasn’t reformed at all, and now he was trying to drag Grayson down to his level.

“I’m kidding, Gray, chill out,” Whirler laughed, his eyes sparkling with humor, his smile mocking, and Grayson flushed again, in embarrassment and annoyance. “I’m reformed, remember?”

“Yeah, that’s what you keep telling everyone,” Grayson said as he helped the last hostage up from the floor. “And don’t call me Gray. We’re not friends.”

Whirler put a hand to his chest in faux shock. “You don’t believe me? I’m deeply offended. I've stopped three different crimes this week. And I’ve been pardoned. I’ve been judged repentant by a jury of my peers.”

“You don’t have peers,” Grayson snapped.

“Grayson! How kind!”

Grayson ignored him. That wasn’t what he’d meant at all. “I don’t believe for a second that you’ve changed. You just took advantage of everyone misinterpreting that whole bus thing - and _I_ would have saved those kids, by the way, if you hadn’t happened to be there.”

“Of course you would have.”

“And why would you change anyway? You’re filthy rich, you’ve never been caught or prosecuted, everyone thinks you’re so freaking cool - You’re the most successful villain this city’s ever had.”

“Wow, that’s quite the compliment. Thank you, Gray.”

“It’s not a compliment!”

“Are you sure? Because it sounded like a compliment.”

“It’s not - _Look._ ” Grayson put his hands on his hips and stared the younger man down. “You’re not fooling me, okay? I’ve chased you down on enough heists to know you love the thrill too much to give it up.”

“Who says I can’t get a thrill from helping people? That’s what you do, right?”

 _If someone doesn’t help them before I get there_ , Grayson thought, then told himself not to be churlish. “So, what, you’re gonna model yourself on me now?”

Whirler laughed, and then - to his credit, Grayson supposed - tried to cover it up. “Well. No. Not quite.” He saw - and felt - Whirler’s gaze lick slowly up his body, and tried not to feel self-conscious about his drab gray costume. There was no need to feel inadequate just because Whirler’s new look involved metallic navy skin-tight lycra with silver lightning bolts. 

Then Whirler cocked his head to the side. “Hey, you might be able to help me, actually. What do you know about talking to kids?”

“Kids?” Grayson said, taken aback.

“I’ve been invited to Rockfleet Elementary to talk to the kids about being a hero, and -”

“You’ve _what?_ ” Going to the schools was Grayson’s thing. The other four heroes in the city weren’t fans of talking to children, but Grayson loved it, so he was the one who got asked, and he made sure he did an assembly every week or so.

“I know, what a drag, right? All the kids will want a picture and an autograph...”

Grayson shook his head. “It’s not a drag. You get to shape young minds! Inspire them!”

“Oh, right, yeah. That.”

Grayson’s lips thinned. “If you don’t want to go, just back out. I’m sure they’ll find someone superior to take your place.”

“No, it’ll be fine, I guess,” Whirler said, shrugging. “I’d hate to let them down anyway, that wouldn't be good for my shiny new image. And it sounds like they don’t get much variety. The principal said they’re getting sick of having the same guy in over and over for assemblies.”

Grayson blinked. “Right.” They didn’t mean him. They loved having him. They must mean someone else. He gritted his teeth. “Look, just try not to inspire any of them into being a super villain, huh?”

“As if I would.”

“I’m telling you - when you go back to your old ways, I’ll be right there waiting to chase you down again.” 

Whirler started to reply, but the police entered the scene then, and right behind them was a crowd of reporters, all immediately clamoring for Whirler’s attention.

“It was nothing,” he said, as they pushed microphones into his face. “Just an ordinary day being a hero.” 

Grayson rolled his eyes and started to move away to talk to the cops, but Whirler grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him back. “And of course, I had help from this guy.”

Grayson glanced at him, confused. Whirler winked at him, and Grayson wasn’t sure whether to be infuriated that Whirler thought he needed him to throw him a bone, suspicious that Whirler was trying to get him on side for some future nefarious plan, or just quite pleased that the reporter’s attention had shifted to him.

He decided he’d worry about the first two later.

\----

When Grayson got home, Ella was sitting in front of the television, watching the reporter interview Grayson and Whirler.

“You guys are working together now?” she asked, looking amused.

“Absolutely not.” He sat down on the couch next to her and grimaced. “He’d finished dealing with it by the time I got there.”

“And then he gave you half the credit? That’s really nice of him.”

“I’m sure he had some sort of ulterior motive. And don’t look him in the eye when you watch the TV. I don’t want you getting any more under the influence. He all but admitted to me that he was capable of ‘convincing’ the police of whatever he wanted.”

“I’m not under the -”

“Well, just to make sure. I want you to be safe.”

Ella smiled. “Okay, Gray, I won’t look him in the eyes. But take a glance at the two of you - you look good together. His dark hair and your light hair, his height and your…”

“Lack of height?”

“No! I was going to say… muscular build. Maybe the two of you could team up. You could be his sideki-”

“His sidekick?”

“I mean, he could be _your_ sidekick.”

“Thanks, El, but I work alone.” 

Ella rested her head on his shoulder. “I know. But wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to? You could do the stuff that needs super strength, he could do the things that need super speed, and he could -”

“Also do the things that require slickness and sleaziness and creepy mind-control powers? Of all the people in the world I could team up with, it won’t be him.”

“Fine, it was just an idea.” Ella reached up to kiss him on the cheek then hopped up from the couch. “I gotta head out, but I just remembered, this came in the mail for you.” She handed him a stiff cream-colored envelope with his name and address written in calligraphy. He opened it, and pulled out a square card.

“It’s an invitation to a charity dinner. To _Whirler’s_ charity dinner.” Grayson scowled. “Ugh, I’m not going to sit there and eat fancy food and watch him ask for donations to what is clearly a con.”

Ella shrugged. “Maybe that’s exactly why you should go. You could keep an eye on him. Figure out if it’s legit. And eat fancy food. Hey, do you get a plus-one?”

Grayson checked the invite. “No plus-one, sorry El. You’re not wrong though. Maybe I should go.”

“Great! But, Gray?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we please get you a new suit? You haven’t bought one in years.”

Grayson rolled his eyes. “If we absolutely must.”

\----

Grayson had been invited to his share of benefit dinners and the like - it was part of being a superhero in the city. But this one was fancy, even in comparison to the governor’s last ball. The function room was draped with billowing white fabric, and filled with tiny glimmering lights and gleaming ice sculptures. There was even a ridiculously over the top champagne pyramid in the center of the room. Whirler had expensive taste. Grayson was glad Ella had convinced him to dress up a little more than usual.

Grayson was swiftly seated at a table near the middle of the room with the city’s other four superheroes. He was surprised to see the table full - Rapporto, Irradienne and KitCat could usually be relied upon to attend these sorts of occasions if they weren’t otherwise engaged in saving the public, but Lukone tended to make his excuses if possible. It was a long time since Grayson had run into him at one of these events. 

"Grayson!” Rapporto said, nodding at him in greeting, his mauve-coloured eyes flickering in the way Grayson knew meant he was reading Grayson’s emotions as he looked at him. “Good to see you. Surprised you're not sitting up front with Whirler, what with your joint interview the other day." 

"We were just at the same place at the same time," Grayson said.

"You looked pretty chummy. I wouldn't trust him if I were you."

Grayson's eyebrows shot up. "So you don't believe him either? I thought everyone in the city was suddenly on his side." 

Rapporto pursed his lips and leant back. "I think he might have influenced the public opinion with a little more than his charming smile,” he said. “Some low-level mind control, probably - I saw similar in another villain back in Ukirne. Nothing really dangerous, more of a parlor trick, but it gets results. I guess he's been using it for years on security guards and the like, but now he's decided to treat the whole city to it."

"Thankfully people of power are exempt," Irradienne piped up, her skin glowing gently and making her look like an angel as she sat across the table from Grayson.

"I'm so glad to know I’m not the only one who isn’t fooled," Grayson said. "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."

"You could probably throw him pretty far," KitCat pointed out, grinning.

"It's an expression! Anyway. I'd bet my life that this charity of his is nothing but a front for something nefarious."

"Actually," rumbled a low voice, "it's not."

Grayson glanced over, surprised. If Lukone rarely showed up to events, he even more rarely engaged in conversation. "It's… not?" 

"I was concerned about the same thing,” the huge man said. “But I looked into it. It's handled by independent people, and Whirler hasn't gone near the books or the people in charge of them. I spoke to them direct and couldn't get a sniff of mind control, and the books look legit."

Grayson blinked. "But…"

"Whatever we might think of him, whatever his plan is, the charity is actually helping children."

Grayson sat back in his chair, not sure what to make of the news. 

\----

"I thought he was never going to stop talking," Rapporto said when Whirler finally sat down after giving a long and flowery speech about his salvation, and then an even longer but considerably less fake-sounding speech about his charity's planned works. The crowd had eaten it up, helped along a little no doubt by Whirler's extra-special influence, but even Grayson had to admit, the second half had sounded good. He wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that the charity was apparently not a con.

"I'm heading home," he announced, knowing it was a little rude to leave before the after-dinner coffees and chocolates, but not caring very much. He wanted to be out of the loud, overly decorated room and out of his constricting tuxedo, and to chill on the couch with his roommates and a beer. He bid the other heroes a lackluster goodbye and headed to the cloakroom to pick up his coat.

The cloakroom attendant was nowhere to be found when Grayson arrived, and after a few moments of tapping his foot in the corridor, Grayson let himself into the room. It was dimly lit, but not so dark that he couldn't instantly spot Whirler, standing tall between two coat rails, his bespoke charcoal grey suit framing his body beautifully. His hand was in the pocket of a hanging jacket.

"I wouldn't have thought a supervillain like you would stoop to pickpocketing," Grayson said drily, trying to cover his surprise.

Whirler glanced round at him and grinned. "Ex-supervillain, remember? You really need to pay more attention, Grayson."

"I'm paying plenty of attention to you," Grayson said, then regretted it when Whirler's smile grew. _Why did everything he say come out wrong?_

"This is _my_ jacket, anyway," Whirler said. "I had to retrieve something. But what are you doing here? You can't be leaving already, the night's only just begun."

"Only just-? We've been here nearly three hours. And it feels like I spent two and a half of them listening to your speech."

"You exaggerate," Whirler said. "And the people seemed to enjoy it."

"Did they have any choice?" Grayson snapped.

Whirler paused then, and gazed at Grayson for a moment, as if deciding whether to speak or not. "I can't make people think or feel something they really don't want to," he said at length. "I can just...encourage them towards a certain feeling."

"Well, I'm glad your encouragement doesn't work on me," Grayson said.

"Me too," Whirler said simply, and Grayson frowned. 

"I - what?"

"It's nice to be around people I'm unable to influence," Whirler said. "It means I don't have to worry about accidentally nudging them towards some course of action when I don't really mean to. And of course… it makes it all the sweeter when they fall madly in love with me."

Grayson snorted. "Right, and that happens a lot I take it?"

Whirler just smiled. "I'm glad you came tonight, Grayson. You look good in that tux."

Grayson wet his lips, uncomfortable.

"Seems your charity's legit," he said, steering the conversation back to safer ground. 

"You didn't think it was?"

"Of course not."

Whirler's lips thinned, and Grayson realized it was the first time he'd seen him look angry - the first time, really, that he'd seen him look anything but glib and carefree. But then Whirler's expression smoothed out and he smiled.

"I wouldn't con children out of money," he said, and Grayson could detect an edge of iron to his voice underneath the lightness. "I only ever stole from the rich or the plain evil."

Grayson raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak, but Whirler held up a hand. "I'm not saying I was doing a public service. I was doing it for the money, and the thrill. But I didn't really hurt anyone, did I?"

Grayson stared at him. "That's… that's not the point. You broke the law. You…" He trailed off. He was floundering, and he hated it. He shook his head, tried to clear his mind, and settled on one obvious issue. "If you were really reformed, you'd give back everything you stole - really give it back, not just throw a couple million at the government and say that's all you had left."

Whirler's lip quirked. "Well, that's obviously not going to happen. I'm not _that_ reformed. But if I've decided I'm going to do good from now on, does it really matter what I've done in the past, and if I've still got a few million in profits?"

"Yes! It matters, it's -"

"Grayson," Whirler said, and in a flash he was right in front of him, inches away, the distance between them disappearing without it having seemed as though Whirler had moved at all. 

"You really need to relax," Whirler said softly. He put a hand on Grayson's shoulder and then slid it around to the back of his neck, grasping the tight muscles there and massaging for a few seconds before taking his hand away, leaving Grayson's skin hot and aching.

"I'm sorry you're leaving so soon," Whirler said, taking a step back and sounding suddenly formal in a way that made Grayson wonder if he had completely imagined the last few seconds. "I'm sure I'll see you on the job soon enough, though." He turned to go, then glanced back at Grayson and winked. "Try not to be so late this week."

Grayson watched him leave, irritation and confusion warring within him. Why was the man so infuriating? And why… why hadn't Grayson thrown his hand off his neck as soon as it had landed there? Grayson swallowed a growl and grabbed his coat from the stand, while vowing to himself that he'd get to every crime scene before Whirler this week.

\----

Ella and Deb were still up, drinking wine in their pyjamas when he returned home.

“How was it?” Deb asked.

“Mostly boring. You guys would have liked the seabass entree though.”

“And the free booze,” Deb pointed out, draining her glass.

“Did anyone compliment you on the new tux?” Ella asked eagerly.

“Uh...one person,” Grayson admitted. 

Ella grinned. “I _told_ you it looked good. Who was it?”

“Who was what?”

“Who was it that complimented you on it?”

“Oh...uh... I’m not sure what their name was,” Grayson said. Which was true, really. He wasn’t sure what Whirler’s real name was, seeing as he obviously used a pseudonym. 

Ella narrowed her eyes as though she didn’t believe him, then shrugged. “Fair enough,” she said, but there was something in her voice that made Grayson wonder if she knew exactly who it had been. He wondered briefly whether she’d encouraged him to buy the suit for that very reason, then dismissed the thought. 

“I’m going to bed,” Grayson said, kissed the two women on the cheek, and left the room before they could ask him anything else.

\----

Grayson had spent half the night after the charity event tossing and turning, wondering what Whirler’s game was, so he wasn’t thrilled when the call came through for his assistance at six in the morning. The governor was beside himself - Uncinus was back, intent that this time he would complete his plan to freeze the city into a personal ice playground, and he was starting with the governing offices. Grayson, Lukone and Irradienne had had to team up to send him packing last time; without Irradienne’s heat powers, Grayson figured they’d all be icicles now.

Grayson pulled on his costume, almost tripping over the pile of dress clothes on his floor where he’d dumped them the night before, and yanked open his balcony door. He launched himself into the air, hoping that Irradienne would get there before him and start to melt the villain’s work.

\----

Irradienne was not there when Grayson arrived, but Whirler, of course, was. He had concealed himself behind a wall a few feet back from the gates to the governing offices; it didn’t take super sight for Grayson to spot him in his sparkling costume. He seemed to be watching as Uncinus stood on the steps to the offices, arms outstretched, commanding the ice to spread out across the ground and up the walls of the building. People nearer to the villain had already been frozen, their expressions unblinking through the clear ice.

Grayson landed softly next to Whirler. “What are you doing?” Grayson hissed, yanking Whirler around to face him. “Just standing here while Uncinus starts to freeze the whole city?”

Whirler glared at him. “I only just arrived. Thought I’d get a handle on the situation first before charging in half-cocked.”

Grayson narrowed his eyes. “You sure you weren’t considering helping Uncinus rather than stopping him?”

Whirler scowled. “Even if I wasn’t reformed, I wouldn’t be thrilled about a city made of ice. This dude needs to reevaluate his desires. Why doesn’t he just steal a few nice cars instead?”

“He really, really likes the cold,” Grayson muttered. “What we need is Irradienne, but we can’t wait to -” He cut off as a band of what felt like freezing cold fire fastened itself around his back, and then a second later he found himself pressed up against Whirler, front to front. Then the two of them were yanked down onto their knees. “What the-?”

“Gentlemen,” said a cool voice, and Grayson looked up to see Uncinus standing atop the wall above them. He shouldn’t have taken his eyes off him, even for one minute to speak to Whirler. Now a rope of pure white ice trailed from Uncinus’ finger and was wrapped tightly around him and Whirler, burning a line into his back.

“Did you really think the two of you could stop me?” Uncinus drawled. “A below-average muscle-man and a speedster with weak manipulation powers? I am the king of ice! The lord of frost!” He shook his head pityingly. “You can stay bound here until the ice wave reaches you. It won’t be long, and you’ll get to enjoy your last few minutes knowing that soon you’ll be frozen solid for eternity.” He shook the end of the rope from his finger and disappeared behind the wall, leaving Grayson and Whirler tied tightly together.

Grayson swore. He pressed against the icy binding, but even with his advanced strength he couldn’t break it; he couldn’t even cause the tiniest of cracks. Every part of his torso and thighs seemed to be touching every part of Whirler, and he couldn’t get any leverage to push against the ropes.

“I can’t shift it,” he said to Whirler, his mouth pressed up against the taller man’s neck. He could feel Whirler’s Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallowed.

“I’ll try and move fast back and forth, try and create some heat from kinetic energy and friction,” Whirler said. It wasn’t a bad plan, and Grayson held his breath in hope as Whirler started to try. He vibrated, faster and faster, until he was less of a solid presence against Grayson and more of a blurred, buzzing entity. He could feel a mild heat emanating off him. But after a few moments, Whirler stopped, and cursed.

“I can’t get enough space to move properly,” he said, dropping his head onto Grayson’s, breathing hard in exhaustion. “It’s not going to work.”

“We can’t just sit here and let -” Grayson started to say in frustration, but then he stopped, and a slow smile spread over his face.

“Gray?” Whirler said, trying to shift his head so that he could look down into Grayson’s eyes.

“Look over your shoulder,” Grayson said, and Whirler turned his head as much as he could. Grayson knew the moment that Whirler saw the same thing he had seen, because he felt his body relax slightly against Grayson’s own.

“Irradienne,” Whirler said, relief heavy in his voice. “And - is that Lukone I can hear?”

“Yes. KitCat’s there too,” Grayson said. “And look - the ice.”

The ice wasn’t retreating yet, but it had stopped creeping forward, and they could hear the sounds of a battle. 

“We should help, somehow,” Grayson said, but Whirler laughed.

“Don’t think we’re in the best position,” he said. “Well, the best position to help, anyway. I’m not...opposed... to the position itself.” He grinned, and Grayson shook his head.

“Why do you keep saying things like that?” he said, trying again to break the ice bonds, and failing again.

Whirler attempted to shrug, but they were bound too close for his shoulders to move up and down. “Why not?”

Grayson glared up at him. “We’re not - we are - you’re -”

“Yes?” Whirler prompted, smiling.

“We’re not...friends,” Grayson said eventually.

“We could be. We could work together. We could...do other things together. I always wanted to get to know you better, even when you were trying to stop my heists. You're so tightly wound... I always wanted to see if I could unwind you a little.”

Grayson felt his face heating up. “I don’t need to be unwound,” he said. “And I don’t date villains.”

“Then it's a good job I’m -”

“If you say reformed one more time -”

“Okay, okay. Truth?” Whirler said, and there was something clear and honest in his expression for once.

Grayson nodded. “Truth.”

“I didn’t mean to save that runaway bus full of kids -”

“I knew it!”

“Will you be quiet and let me finish? I didn’t mean to, but when I accidentally got in the way and stopped it… I felt something I never expected. It felt good to help. And I wanted to feel it again. Maybe that’s selfish, maybe it’s just a new high that’s no more noble than stealing or partying, but - does it matter? I might not have the heart of a real hero, I might not be like you, but I do want to do good, even if it’s just for the warm feeling and the adoring public.”

“You’re really giving up the villainy?” Grayson said slowly.

“For now,” Whirler grinned, and then rolled his eyes when Grayson scowled. “ _Yes._ I’m giving it up. I’ve got enough money to last me several lifetimes anyway. But I could benefit from learning a bit more about this whole hero thing. From someone who knows exactly what they’re doing. What do you say, Gray? Wanna educate me in your ways?”

Grayson swallowed. He should probably say no. He should definitely say no. But Whirler’s body was hard and ripped next to his, and the skin of his neck tasted sweet and salty against his lips, and his voice and smile made him feel warm even with the freezing ice at his back and around his arms, and - _well_. If he helped Whirler become a better hero, he’d basically be doing a public service, wouldn’t he?

“I think… we can work something out,” he said. Whirler grinned with triumph - and with something sweeter that Grayson thought might be delight.

“Hey, you two,” came a voice from a few feet away, and Grayson realized that for a few seconds he’d forgotten where they were, and the danger they were in. But it wasn’t Uncino’s voice calling to them, it was Irradienne’s.

“Battle’s over,” she said. “That icy douche is on his way back to wherever the hell he came from. I’m just about to unfreeze everyone, but I thought I better come free you guys first. You looked pretty uncomfortable.”

“Actually, we’re quite -” Whirler started to say with a grin, but Grayson hushed him.

“Thank you, Irri,” he said, and breathed a sigh of relief when she melted the vicious ice ropes and the fiery pain across his back started to abate. Still, he felt the loss of Whirler’s body against his as the two men separated.

Irradienne was gone again in an instant, off to rescue the other victims, and Whirler was getting to his feet and offering a hand down to Grayson. Grayson gripped it, and let the other man pull him up.

“Guess we weren’t a lot of help in this battle,” Grayson said.

Whirler shrugged. “I think it all worked out pretty well,” he said, and dipped his head down so that his lips were almost touching Grayson’s. “The villain got defeated, Irradienne’s warming everyone up as we speak, I got to be bound to you for several minutes, and we established that you’re totally into me now you know I’m not evil to the core. I’ve had worse mornings.”

“I don’t think that’s exactly what we established,” Grayson murmured, but it was hard to protest when their lips were so close together and he could feel Whirler’s warm breath on his skin.

“Close enough,” Whirler said, and Grayson decided it wasn’t worth arguing the point.


End file.
